1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to providing computer mediated consumer services. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and systems for associating a product redemption code with a consumer of the product identified with the redemption code.
2. Background Art
Advances in communication and information technologies have resulted in more content being more widely available to consumers than ever before. As the richness and variety of that content has grown, so too have the expectations of consumers, so that a consumer may now typically expect to be able to access desired content across multiple formats, and/or be provided with supplemental content or other associated content capable of enriching or extending the consumption experience.
In the case of digital media content, for example, it is now quite common for entertainment content provided on a digital video disc (DVD) or high-definition optical disc, such as Blu-ray Disc™ optical discs, for example, to be distributed as a content bundle including primary content and supplemental content associated with the primary content. Blu-ray Disk is a trademark owned by the Blu-ray Disk Association (BDA) in the United States and other jurisdictions. For instance, primary content comprising a movie may be bundled with supplemental content related to the making of the movie, biographies of actors and actresses featured in the movie, alternate scenes omitted from the primary version of the movie, and the like. In addition, in some instances the primary content may be bundled with associated content not packaged and distributed with the primary content, but redeemable by the consumer through use of a redemption code distributed with the primary content.
Such an approach to linking purchase or acquisition of a unit of content to the right to access and/or purchase supplemental assets on favorable terms need not be limited to media content, however. A similar approach to redemption rights can be utilized in combination with a wide spectrum of commercial products, whether marketed as goods or services, so as to render the primary good or unit of service acquired by the consumer more useful, of greater value, and consequently more desirable to the consumer.
A significant disadvantage associated with conventional approaches to enabling consumers to utilize product redemption codes to access or obtain benefits associated with a product purchase or acquisition is that conventional redemption transactions typically occur as isolated and effectively terminal events. In other words, a redemption transaction is typically treated as simply a quid pro quo for the consumer's prior acquisition of a particular product. As a result, there is no mechanism within the conventional redemption framework for associating the redemption to a particular consumer, and of course, taking advantage of such association to gather useful information and provide additional services.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing a solution for associating a consumer with product redemption data, such as a product redemption code, and enabling use of the product redemption code as an identifying credential providing access to a variety of privileges on an ongoing basis.